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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: race · sharp · key · rule · stand · tube · foot · chair

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. race — a contest
  4. race — the arms race
  5. key — for a lock
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. race — humankind
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. tube — the underground
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. key — in music
  15. rule — a law
  16. chair — a leader
  17. stand — to bear
  18. foot — a measure
  19. tube — a container
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. key — the most important part
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. rule — government
  24. sharp — clever

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com